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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28014645">Kidnapped</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ughdotcom/pseuds/ughdotcom'>ughdotcom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who, Doctor Who &amp; Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Aromantic Asexual Doctor (Doctor Who), Aromantic Doctor (Doctor Who), Don't copy to another site, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Kissing, M/M, Other, Queerplatonic Getting Together, Queerplatonic Relationships, Rescue, Torture, Villain Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:09:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,002</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28014645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ughdotcom/pseuds/ughdotcom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose has been kidnapped! What will be revealed when The Doctor and Jack go to find her?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>(they make out once or twice this is QPR NineRose centric), Ninth Doctor &amp; Rose Tyler, Ninth Doctor/Jack Harkness, Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Queerplatonic Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Queerplatonic The Doctor (Doctor Who)/Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Doctor Who) &amp; Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Doctor Who)/Rose Tyler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Rose was sitting on a bench overlooking a long winding river, the not-quite-water a brilliant red, churning and frothing over smooth blue rocks. It was a brilliant technicolor that she admired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Doctor was working in the TARDIS with Jack. She had offered to help, but she ended up getting bored and not understanding the wires. Not that The Doctor understood the wires either, but he understood them more than her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So she had told them she was going, getting a cursory “okay” from The Doctor and a “have fun” from Jack.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So there she sat, on a bench, overlooking a river that wound around brilliant mountains of blue stone, content.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Miss.” a child said, tugging on her sleeve and sitting down next to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose broke out of her stupor and turned to look at the child. She was a young girl, at most five or six, and she was dressed in a pink coat and hat, too similar in color and knit to not have come from the same set. Her skin was a soft orange, and instead of hair, tentacle like things poured over her shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello.” Rose said, smiling widely at her. “Do you like the view?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” The child said. “This is one of my favorite planets. I always like when they bring me here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who did you come here with?” Rose looked over that child before scanning the wide terrace they were on. There didn’t seem to be any parents, just a group of men that seemed to be workers. They were digging at the base of a tree.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Men.” The child said, smiling happily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those men?” Rose asked, gesturing over at the workers. The child nodded, still grinning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose wasn’t going to be rude about it. Even if she didn’t understand, she had seen plenty of odd family structures, and she knew that not every family was a man and a woman. “Who are they?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The men didn’t seem to be the same species of the child, they looked almost human, with pale pink skin and coarse hair. Rose had seen adopted children, though, on Earth and off Earth, so she didn’t find that strange. She did find the fact none of them were watching their child disturbing, because she knew that usually parents worried when their child went up to a random stranger and started talking to them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But they probably didn’t see Rose, and didn’t know the child was talking to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Rose looked back up at the child, she was leaning over the cliff face to try to better see the river. Rose darted forward and grabbed the child, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her back from the ledge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s your name anyway?” she asked her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m Ursa!” the child said her name the way most children did, with a sense of pride in it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rose.” Rose stuck out her hand, which Ursa took and shook seriously. “I’m going to take you back to your family, okay? I don’t want you almost falling off a cliff again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay!” Ursa grabbed Rose’s hand, holding tight, and started pulling Rose along across the pavilion. She was stronger than most human children, but gravity wasn’t always the same, nor muscle structure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do they normally take you to different planets?” Rose asked as Ursa dragged her along.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! We like to take trips. This is one of my favorite planets, although I don’t like natural parks like this that much. I prefer when they take me to amusement parks. Once I got to go on a roller coaster that was so tall I could see the curve of the planet!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose didn’t think that was possible. At all. But the child was young, so she let it slide, because young children were often hyperbolic. Rose knew she had been.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They approached the men, who turned around at the same time, every one of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi!” Ura said, and the fact she didn’t say any sort of nickname for them sprung fear into Rose’s subconscious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is this your daughter?” Rose asked them. “She was standing really close to a ledge, I was scared she might fall.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She can handle herself.” one of the men said gruffly. He had a large black beard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can!” Ursa said, letting her tentacles lift up. “See?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure, but I don’t want an accident to happen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” a voice said. A woman came out of the group of men, a woman Rose was sure hadn’t been there before. “She’s only bait anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bait?” Rose asked, taking a step back automatically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bait.” The woman stated, smiling sweetly. Two of the men grabbed Rose’s arms as Ursa stepped away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” Ursa said, looking Rose earnestly in the eyes. “I had to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose saw darkness.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The Doctor and Jack were working in the TARDIS, making sure she would fly more smoothly, which mainly meant choosing random wires, putting them together, and seeing if that would work. Rose had left to go look around a while ago, and Jack couldn’t fault her. It wasn’t exactly exciting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should take a break.” Jack said, sliding out from under a control panel. “Get Rose and go get some food. I know I’m hungry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” The Doctor came out of where he had been working. “This planet has good food, not aesthetically pleasing, but good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Rose isn’t going to like that.” Jack laughed, opening the door to the TARDIS and stepping out onto the grey brick. “Rose!” he screamed looking across the terrace to see Rose being manhandled by the men. He and The Doctor bolted across the brick towards them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time they reached the men, they were all gone. “Shit!” Jack yelled, looking down at the grey brick, which had appeared to open up and swallow them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Doctor pointed the sonic screwdriver at it, checking it and darting back to the TARDIS, followed by Jack. He plugged the screw driver into the dashboard. “There’s where she is!” he said, flipping a switch. “Let’s go.” he looked at Jack. “We will find her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes we will.” Jack said, clapping his hand on The Doctor’s shoulder. “We are not going to lose her. Not to this.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Rose woke in a dark room, strapped down in a metal chair, cold against her skin. She couldn’t see anything, only vague shapes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?” she demanded, struggling against the metal holding her wrists down. “Why am I here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The light flicked on, bright and jarring. Around her stood all the men, studying her with beady eyes. One of them was holding Ursa close, and Rose was relieved to know that someone was caring for her, no matter how false.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Directly in front of her stood the woman.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman obviously wasn’t human, but she didn’t look alien. She just didn’t look human. Her eyes were too blue, her hair too blond, her fingers too long, her body too thin, her mouth too small. She looked like a realistic version of a beginner’s drawing of a human, too many small flaws in anatomy. Her hair was pulled up and away from her face, and she wore a heather grey blazer and pencil skirt with a white button up and similar grey flats. She held a clipboard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look like you came from an office.” Rose said, looking her over. She had thought this was a kidnapping cliche, but the woman wasn’t exactly how kidnappers normally dressed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman smiled. Her teeth were too big. “I enjoy this body. I stole it from a painting. The artist was quite good, don’t you think? It’s a bit… off I’ve been told, but it just adds an air of… je ne se quoi.” her smile grew wider, and somehow more sinister. “Now, for your questions. I am not named, but you will call me Exe. These are my Men.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your men?” Rose asked. “What are their names?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My Men. They have no names. I call them by number. This is Inay, Domo, Trayo, Fogio, Cortem, Sinni, Semna, and Onch.” she gestured to each man as she spoke. “And you know Ursa.” She gestured at the child in Sinni’s arms. “She’s annoying, but the Men adore her, and she makes good bait. And the men won’t run away as long as she’s here, and she won’t run away as long as they’re here. The pros of father-daughter teams, I suppose. Now you want to know why you’re here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose studied the Men and Ursa. At first she had thought they didn’t care about the girl, but she saw how they look at her, like she was the world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re here because you know the Doctor. I don’t care about you, at all, little girl. You’re a child compared to me and The Doctor, just a baby. But I need The Doctor, and he does love you, however sad that may be. So we wait, child. What was your name again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not telling you.” Rose spat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ursa, darling, did she tell you her name?” Exe asked, turning to Ursa. The girl shook her head. Exe moved and wrapped her hand around Fogio’s throat. “What is her name, Ursa?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Violet.” Ursa said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose knew that Ursa knew her real name. She also knew that Ursa was protecting her. Exe seemed to have a thing about names, with the way she used numbers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Ursa.” Exe smiled coldly at the child before turning back to Rose. “So, Violet. Shall we call your dear Doctor?” she pressed a button and a large screen flickered on, revealing The Doctor and Jack in the TARDIS, trying to find them. “Doctor!” she called out in a singsong voice. “That isn’t going to work, the traces in the ground were a… what’s the word?... red herring. We aren’t wherever you’re going to land, and I don’t know what is!” she laughed. “Now, I do have your good companion, Violet, and I don’t care about her, so you’d better hurry up before I kill her. She’d make such good food.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose saw Jack open his mouth, likely to correct Exe, before closing it, realizing Rose most likely didn’t want her to know her name.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is she okay?” The Doctor asked. “And what do you want from me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want you, Doctor.” The body of the human woman melted away, revealing a creature with pale green skin and a fish like body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Buh buh buh!” she cut him off, morphing back into herself. “Names have power. Call me Exe. It’s what they call me.” she smiled serenely. “Now, Doctor. Just how much time will scare you into getting here quickly? I know. You have three hours to find us, or the girl-” she grinned a wide grin full of too many too large teeth. “Well.” she lifted up a hand and slid the thumb over her throat. “I do hope that kills humans painlessly, I’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>hate</span>
  </em>
  <span> for her to die screaming for you, and your… little man.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doctor!” Rose screamed as the screen started to fade.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Her name!” The Doctor yelled back. “Her name is-” the screen went dark, and Exe laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, little girl. Shall we have some fun? Because I lied. I’d love for you to die screaming.” She picked up a sharp rod, sharpened into shape at the end, and twirled it in her hands. “You remind me of a witch, Violet. Do you remember what they did to witches on your planet? It’s horrifying, and a little bit gruesome. So for every ten minutes your precious Doctor doesn’t come, I shal poke you to try and find the devil’s mark. Deep. That’s what, Domo, how many holes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eighteen.” Domo replied gruffly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s no fun!” Exe complained. “Ah, well, I do have other methods. And they all hurt! And they’re all so </span>
  <em>
    <span>red</span>
  </em>
  <span> and delicious. So, shall we begin?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ursa made to wiggle out of Sinni’s arms, but Exe spun around to face her.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>“Sinni, Ursa stays, or you both get cut.” she smiled. “Understood? Thank you.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now</span>
  </em>
  <span> we begin.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Exe is not an alien from Classic Who I made her up The Doctor just knows her.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Are we going back, Doctor?” Jack asked when they landed. “She said she wasn’t here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If there’s anything I know about her, it’s that she’s a liar. Red herring indeed, she’s here and she wants to trick us.” The Doctor responded, messing with a few controls.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or she could want you to think that.” Jack pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She thinks she’s smart, but she’s not smart enough for that. She is smart enough to consider that I’ll consider that, and believe it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who is she, Doctor?” Jack asked, following The Doctor as he pushed open the doors of the TARDIS and stepped outside. They surveyed the room they had landed in, moist and moldy concrete with a 230 branded on the wall, a room number. It was round, with corridors moving out like spider’s legs. The Doctor chose one at random and nodded at it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Doctor started leading them down the wet and dark corridor as he spoke. “Her name is Xedhe, which is probably why she chose Exe. Same X sound, same eh ending. She’s a Xulaed, which I have known plenty good ones of. Even accidentally got into an arranged marriage with one named Xanthan. Nice fellow, bad kisser. Xedhe, she’s a stinker, though. Completely in love with Xanthan, completely insane. Normally no one gets murderous when you accidentally marry their somewhat boyfriend who is also technically the crown of the planet, but like I said, insane.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you do like men?” Jack asked, checking around a corner before they turned down it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s your takeaway? If you must know, I’m aromantic. I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> like men, it’s just not romantic. Women are normally better kissers, men don’t have to learn to be desirable, but they make fun of women for being bad at it. Sexism, forever controlling the machine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I’m a bad kisser?” Jack asked with a wink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, we’ll see when Rose isn’t in mortal danger.” The Doctor responded with a mocking wink “I wouldn’t put it past Xedhe to actually kill her, Xanthan barely lived.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you’ll make out with a fish alien, but not me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not kidding when I say dinner first.” They walked into a large circular room, thankfully empty. The walls were coated in screens, the same green tint as the screen Xedhe had pulled up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fantastic! Here’s our proof I wasn’t wrong!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You weren’t sure!” Jack said, immediately moving to work with the keyboard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m never sure, Jack, if you want a kiss you should know that. Now, can you turn that on?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jack grinned and pressed a button. Nothing happened. “Wait.” Jack said, pressing another button. The screen flashed on. “There is an entire folder just labeled ‘porn’.” Jack pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have the worst takeaways. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> ask what Xulaed porn entitles, I don’t know and I don’t want to.” The Doctor moved to the keyboard, opening the folder labeled ‘horrendous and hideous evil plans for the doctor’. “That’s a rather obvious name, and she didn’t even capitalize my name! Rude. So, Xedhe. What are you cooking up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The screen flickered and turned into a video when The Doctor pressed the file. Xedhe was sitting in front of the camera, the Men in the background with Ursa. the young girl look blissfully unaware that Xedhe was planning murder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>hate</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. He just sucks. The Doctor! What kind of fucking name is that?” the video went on a while while she ranted about The Doctor, blaming him for Xanthan leaving her and coming out gay (The Doctor and Jack both sighed at that).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to kill him!” she finally decided, and they snapped their attention back to the screen. “I’m going to find his new companion, and lure him here. And then I’m going to kill him. And eat his heart.” and I’m going to make her watch. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Or</span>
  </em>
  <span> I could kill her and make him watch. Oh! I’m going to do that! It’ll be amazing!” the recording shrieked in glee and clapped her hands. “I can’t wait!” She started laughing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not a very good plan.” Jack quipped, turning to watch The Doctor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He watched The Doctor scan the background of the video. “Look.” he pointed at a room number.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s where she is.” Jack said, grinning. “We’re going to save her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> The Doctor turned to look Jack earnestly in the eyes, smiling. “Yes we are. Now, how do you think we get there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jack scanned the room they were standing in, before pointing at the room number. “If this is room 234, and we landed in room 230, it should be that way.” he pointed in the opposite way they had come.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fantastic! Come on.” The Doctor grabbed Jack’s hand, and they made their way down the hallways, glancing in each room as they went. 238, 240, 245, 250, until finally they reached the number from the background of the video. Room 258. The Doctor grinned his signature grin, cocky and confident.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready, Jack?” the challenge in his voice was altogether too joking, he was confident that they were about to find and rescue Rose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Always am.” Jack grinned back, just as confident and cocky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perfect.” The Doctor grabbed the sides of Jack’s face and kissed him, hard and quick. “Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jack stared, stunned and confused, before shrugging and smiling wider. “Let’s.” Neither had considered the problem of the room numbers. There were at least 258 rooms, most likely more. What were the chances that Xedhe always used the same one?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They burst into an empty room and stopped in their tracked, grins sliding off their faces, and on the other side of the base a girl named after a flower screamed as the little girl named after the stars cried silently and the alien woman whose name meant “peace” in her language laughed the laughter of someone who never learned how to care for others feelings.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Do you love him?” Xedhe purred in Rose’s ear as Rose yelled out for The Doctor. Rose just glared at her and didn’t answer. “Oh, you’ll have to tell me sooner or later.” the alien said, moving the pin around in the hole she had made. “If you do, I feel sorry for you. I don’t think he can even love.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be a prick.” Rose spat back, holding back the screams threatening to slip out of her mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but that’s my job. Torture you until The Doctor comes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Job?” Rose asked, letting out a sharp gasp as Xedhe removed the pin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you didn’t think I was doing this all on my own? Well, I added my own spin on it. The toture, the killing, the overall illegalness. And he’s going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>mind</span>
  </em>
  <span> but he really wants to see your Doctor, you see, Violet? And he knows The Doctor isn’t going to come find him. And it just takes a small slip of my hand and for persuasion serum to fall in his soup to forget the fact I’m completely insane to hire me to find The Doctor for him. Of course, The Doctor isn’t going to reach him alive. I’m not nice enough for that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who?” Rose asked, eyes widening in fear and confusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why, the crown prince of my country, and The Doctor’s ex husband. My ex boyfriend, Prince Xanthan. I can’t wait for the lying and cheating piece of shit to see his Doctor dead on the floor. All for him. I might even wrap him up in a bow. Isn’t it wonderful?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No?” Rose protested. “It’s kinda horrible. Did you say you were insane?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I did. It’s somewhat annoying.” Especially when The Doctor goes on his usual rant about how insane people aren’t all evil and hurtful, and that I’m a cliche used in the media to villainize mentally ill people, and how honestly I’m probably just a sociopath and probably should be called insane. And how not sociopaths are even all bad, that I’m just a rare outlier, like this isn’t real life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, he is right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. Anyway, the Men aren’t even mine. He just gave them to me, ‘hey Xedhe here are some servants. And their daughter. Use them as you will’, it's a pure chance that I’m able to even control them using Ursa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose stared at Xedhe, unable to believe she had just given away the name she had tried so hard to hide. She filed away the information, and didn’t mention it to the fish alien.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, The Doctor’s ex husband.” she probed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was arranged. I don’t think The Doctor even liked it much. He didn’t even like the kissing. I would love it if he would kiss me.” She sighed before pointing at the Men. “Watch her, I’m going to check in with Xanthan. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> try anything, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> kill Ursa in front of you.” No one missed the way that Ursa shrank behind Semna’s legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, ma’am.” Inay spoke up, a peaceful smile plastered on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Xedhe left, shoes clicking on the ground despite being flats. The minute the clicking faded away Ursa darted over to Rose. “Are you okay?” she asked, peeking up at Rose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As okay as I could be in this situation.” Rose said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, ma’am, but is your friend coming?” Trayo spoke up. “And if he does, could he get us out of here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, he could.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ursa, do it.” Cortem commanded. “I’m sorry, but this might hurt.” he said, turning back to Rose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ursa wrapped as much of her hand as she could around Rose’s legs. A warm, tingling sensation traveled up Rose’s body, painful in the same way that pins and needles were painful. She closed her eyes tight before forcing them open to see golden light travelling up her body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the light faded, her body was clear of the marks and holds left by Xedhe. “Thank you.” she said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of the Men came forward, Domo. He undid the cuffs holding her to the chair. Rose stood up, stretching out a bit. She saw Fogio scoop up Ursa and understood. Escape. The unlikely group snuck out the door, moving quietly down the hallway. Onch kept watch in the back as they snuck through the wet concrete tubes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you love him?” Sinni asked her as they walked, kindly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but not in the way everyone thinks. I love him, and it isn’t as friends, but it isn’t as romantic partners either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay.” he comforted her. “Most of us love each other romantically, but I’m aromantic. I love them all, so so much, but I don’t love them romantically. For us it’s as potent as romance, and I’m as much their husband as they are mine, but some people just are queerplatonic. Not that there’s much difference in anything except labeling. Maybe that’s what you want with your Doctor.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s not mine. Why are people calling him mine?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the one luring him here, Violet, he’s a little bit yours.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, Ursa lied. My name is Rose.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s good. If there’s one thing Xedhe values it’s names. I’m Sinbad. Inay is Inaam, Domo is Dominic, Traygo is Tray, Fogio is Fogarty, Cortem is Cory, Semna is Sam, and Onch is Ony. We were named with the numbers first, but Ursa named us after characters in her books.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s sweet.” Rose said, letting a smile slip onto her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. We’ll never regret adopting her, except when she’s subjected to this life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is kidnapping the way you usually do things?” Rose joked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sadly, yes. I don’t think the Xulaed know how to do it another way. They don’t really find it rude, they're so used to it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you, the other Men, and Ursa aren’t Xulaed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, the Men and I are human, while Ursa is Ilim. Also, don’t call Inaam or Ony men to their faces. They don’t mind it for the group, but Inaam is agender and Ony is genderfluid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay. That’s what we’re called as a group, either the Men or Ursa’s Dads.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After this, we can get you out of this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’d like that.” Sinbad said, smiling wide.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Doctor stared at the empty room. There wasn’t even a hint of life, not clutter or mice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck.” Jack breathed. “This place must be huge too. We’re not going to find them quickly without some new information.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can try.” The Doctor said, gripping Jack’s arm tightly. “We have to try. She wants me, not Rose. As upsetting as it is, she won’t kill Rose until I’m there.” they moved out into the hallway. “We do this by navigating this maze, marking each hallway we go through. The doors don’t seem to be soundproof, so we’ll know if the hall we’re in contains Rose.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You kissed me.” Jack pointed out as they went hall by hall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did. I might do it again. Don't think of it as anything romantic.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I remember what you told me. I’m not going to betray your trust like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” The Doctor looked over at him, smiling as best he could while panicking over Rose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You love her don’t you. Not like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but you love her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” The Doctor admitted. “I love her. She’s not the first person I’ve loved like that, and she probably won’t be the last. But it’s her, and it will be as long as I have her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t going to tell her?” Jack asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s alloromantic. I don’t want her to feel an obligation to be my QPP.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Allo people can be in QPRs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, and not all aro people want to be, but I don’t know how she’d feel about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can ask her.” Jack said, resting a hand on The Doctor’s shoulder, before gripping the shoulder and shoving them both into a small closet, face to face and too close.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> kiss me right now.” The Doctor hissed in Jack’s ear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Jack whispered back, and it was clear he was thinking about it, but wasn’t going to do it without consent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stood there until the footsteps left, and then they burst out of the closet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we’re being reasonable, we should go the direction they came from.” Jack said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” The Doctor said, pulling Jack down the hallway. As they moved quietly they saw a group coming closer and closer. It was a large group, mainly men. The Doctor pulled Jack into another cranny, until they heard something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He isn’t anywhere!” Rose complained in frustration.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a large base, ma’am.” someone responded, that someone being Fogarty.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We probably haven’t seen them yet.” Only comforted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Doctor looked at Jack and grinned, before jumping out of the nook, pulling Jack with him, grinning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually I’m right here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doctor!” Rose shouted gleefully, running up to him and wrapping her arms around him. “And Jack, I suppose.” She looked at him with a teasing glint in her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be a dick.” He said, opening his arms to let her fall into them. He looked over at The Doctor, the question apparent in his eyes. The Doctor gave him a nod and a smile. “The Doctor and I kissed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rose shoved him away and laughed. “Shut up! Really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s nothing romantic-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or sexual.” The Doctor butted in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But, we kiss and we might do it again. And like hell I can’t get you to suck my dick, Doc.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will not.” The Doctor said, joking in his voice. “Alright, we’re finding the TARDIS, where the small child and her dads can stay while we find Xedhe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Answer me honestly,” Rose said, looping her arm into The Doctor’s as they walked down the halls towards the TARDIS. “Did you forget where you parked the TARDIS?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never.” The Doctor said. “It’s right here.” They all stumbled into the room where they had parked. Rose ran up to the door and unlocked it, gesturing for the Men and Ursa to get in. They all followed the command, all going into the TARDIS. Rose, The Doctor, and Jack could hear the gasps before Rose closed the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How aren’t you hurt, Rose?” The Doctor asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ursa, she did some healing thing. Follow me, I know where Xedhe’s command room is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, you should ask her dads.” they all turned the corner into the room where Rose had been tortured. Two people stood in the center of the room, the woman, back in her natural form, leaning against the chair that Rose had been trapped and tortured in, the man standing straight up, fear apparent on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Help.” the man said, arms tied behind his back. He stared at The Doctor open and earnestly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What would be the fun in that?” Xedhe taunted, letting his crown dangle from her finger. “It’s never fun when exes reunite and there’s no crying. Sadly, the Men betrayed me and took away The Doctor’s reason for crying, so instead only one of you is going to cry, which is a brilliant sorrow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a bitch.” Rose commented, staring her in the face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She really is.” Jack responded, also looking at Xedhe with malice in his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d agree but I’m rather tied up right now.” Xanthan said, nodding at the ropes surrounding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jack, untie him please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do it yourself.” Jack shot back, already moving to untie him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, I think he would try to kiss me, and the list of people in the room I’d like to kiss is a short one of two, and he’s not on it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me?” Rose asked in surprise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t take it personally.” Jack and Xanthan moved back to stand at their side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Xedhe, how should we do this? I don’t really want to give you </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> chance, because you wasted three of them with attempting to murder me or someone else. So, no more second chances. I don’t want to kill you either, because neither of us would enjoy that. You’re bright, but I don’t know if you’re bright enough to break out of prison or a mental facility. I’m not a prison fan, and I only really want you to stop without harming you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care about your hurt.” Xedhe hissed, moving forwards towards him. The Doctor punched her and she fell to the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up.” he said. “I was going to say that I have very little mercy left in my heart after you tried hurting Rose, and that’s her real name, and I’m not against killing you here and now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you mind, Doctor?” Jack asked, taking out a gun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t kill her.” The Doctor said. “I’m not letting you do that. We’ll just take her back to Xed, that’s the planet, and let her rot in prison.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like hell you will.” Xedhe grasped at the pin and lunged forward. There was a gunshot and she fell to the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Doctor doesn’t let anyone hurt his family. Neither do I.” Jack said, defending himself to The Doctor as much as making a quip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Doctor gave him a disapproving look, but didn’t say anything, just held out his hand for the gun, which Jack gave him. The Doctor took out the magazine and tossed them to opposite sides of the rooms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re going. Xanthan, tag along if you wish but you were never really my husband. You get no privileges here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Understood.” Xanthan said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And nothing romantic or sexual. I’m too aromantic for that. Now. To the TARDIS.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The group all stood awkwardly in the TARDIS as The Doctor drove it . “Sorry, quick question.” Rose finally said. “You want to kiss me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said not to take it personally.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bit hard, actually. So what does that mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m in love with you.” The Doctor landed the TARDIS and moved to stand in front of Rose. “Not romantically, but I am in love with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanker</span>
  </em>
  <span>! You couldn’t have told me?!” Rose laughed, launching herself into The Doctor’s arms. “I’m in not-romantic love with you too!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Doctor grinned. “I should have told you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No shit, Sherlock.” Rose said, looking into his eyes. “May I?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” The Doctor replied, and she kissed him deeply. They stood there making out for a good 30 seconds before Sam coughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There are people here.” he said apologetically, gesturing at his husbands and young daughter, along with the Crown Prince of Xed that had been married to The Doctor for a period of time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, yeah.” The Doctor said. “So, where do you want to go? Not back to Xed I assume. Earth? You are human, but you weren’t raised there, were you? No born and raised on Xed, as servants. This is why I left you, Xanthan.” he said, leveling a look at the Xulaed. “And a host of other reasons. So, where? Ursa is Ilim, maybe you’d like to go Illi?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d like to go to Earth.” Ursa said quietly. “I don’t know what they’d think of me on Illi. It’s not like I’ve ever really lived there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Doctor looked up at her dads, who all nodded. “Earth it is! And then Xed for you, Xanthan. I need to catch up with Rose and Jack.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They went to Earth quickly, the 28th century like it had been on that planet. Rose hugged the Men and Ursa goodbye, gave them a wave, and they left to live freely. Xed was even quicker, it was obvious that The Doctor wanted Xanthan off the ship. Even if the Prince didn’t seem horrible, The Doctor wasn’t comfortable in his presence, so Rose and Jack offered small, non-obvious comforts for the short trip, pats on the shoulder and squeezes of hands, small smiles and winks. Xanthan was able to sense that he wasn’t wanted and got off the TARDIS as quickly as he could. Rose and The Doctor sat down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So.” Jack said. “I’m not needed for this conversation, am I? Because I think you need to talk about being queerplatonic partners, and then I need to talk about what that means for occasionally kissing The Doctor in a non-romantic, non-sexual way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That makes sense.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool!” Jack saluted casually and darted out of the control room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So.” Rose said. “If you’re fine with it, I would love to be your queerplatonic partner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d like that.” The Doctor admitted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, then? Are we in a QPR?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Doctor smiled. “Yeah.” they lunged forward into a hug, and then a short kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t actually mind if I make out with Jack sometimes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t. You guys can do anything you want.” she laughed with a wink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you can do the same with whoever you want, even date if you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I might.” she said “But you and the TARDIS come first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you and the TARDIS come first.” he said back, and they kissed quickly again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just promise that I’m invited to anything you and Jack do.” Rose joked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ask him first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine with it!” a call came from the hall outside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop eavesdropping!” Rose yelled back, laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Join us then!” The Doctor said, and Jack did, collapsing on the seat in between them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They wrapped their arms around each other, smiling and giggling. The Doctor gave Jack a short kiss on the lips, and Rose did the same, before kissing The Doctor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where to next?” The Doctor asked. “Past, present, and future.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We probably have to tell my mum about this, or she’s going to get mad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s going to slap me again isn’t she?” The Doctor complained.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably. And Jack too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you convince her </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> too?” Jack begged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What would be the fun in that?” Rose asked. “Come on! Off we go! Time to go tell my mum about our weird fucking relationship! Jack, if you flirt with her, they won’t find your body ever.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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